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How much does a casino expect you to play if you're staying comped?

I'll be heading to Vegas in October comped. I have $200 free play and $150 food credit. I now wonder how much money of my own money will the casino expect me to spend at their property or at one of their sister properties? I know if I only use the free play and the food credit that will probably not sit well with the casino. But if I am able to spend $500 to cycle through gaming for 3 days averaging 5 hours of play will that be enough to continue get offers from them?

We certainly do not get the free play and food credit you do, but we do get good casino rates and comp nights mostly on weekdays during slower periods. When in Las Vegas, maybe a couple of hours per day for each of us, usually playing on the same card, modest slot and VP play. We (mostly me, actually on this one) also have some modest but consistent and regular play at a CET property which is local to us. I think this has a lot to do with the offers. I doubt if the LV offers would be as generous as they are with only episodic Las Vegas play.

All they are expecting is that your play is roughly inline with your past play, whatever that may be. If your play becomes substantially lower or substantially higher than usual it will eventually be reflected in your offers. Though a single low play trip shouldn't affect things much.

The casino attaches a value to the room as well. A basic room might be $100 or less. So, if you add it all up, that's about $750 in comps. I'm not sure if they count free play as a "comp". At a comp rate of 30%, the casino would hope for about $2500 in theo. It's difficult to estimate what kind of theo your $500 would generate(slots, table games, average bet).

newman is correct.
Essentially, your current comped offer has already been "accounted" for, by your past play, so you don't have to even play with your own money on this trip.
However, if you don't play at all, you may not get another comped offer in the future.

I would just start with your Freeplay, and use that to generate as much play as you can.
If you get lucky early, you might be able to generate a LOT of play, which will result in a bigger offer the next time around, without risking any of your own money!

What about a one time (so far) increase in play? My last trip I had 3 free nights, over the weekend, in a Paris Red room plus a little free play and gift card. I averaged 7 hours a day $99 avg bet, mostly BJ with a little craps and won $4,750 (although CET has it at $5,700 but whatever). My trip last year was probably about the same amount of time playing with an avg bet of only $33. Interestingly my theo last year was $1,300 and only increased to $1,600 this year. I know my offers won't get worse but will I see any noticable increase?

I'll be heading to Vegas in October comped. I have $200 free play and $150 food credit. I now wonder how much money of my own money will the casino expect me to spend at their property or at one of their sister properties? I know if I only use the free play and the food credit that will probably not sit well with the casino. But if I am able to spend $500 to cycle through gaming for 3 days averaging 5 hours of play will that be enough to continue get offers from them?

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Just a clarification needed. You have $500 total for gaming, or $500 per day budget?

What about a one time (so far) increase in play? My last trip I had 3 free nights, over the weekend, in a Paris Red room plus a little free play and gift card. I averaged 7 hours a day $99 avg bet, mostly BJ with a little craps and won $4,750 (although CET has it at $5,700 but whatever). My trip last year was probably about the same amount of time playing with an avg bet of only $33. Interestingly my theo last year was $1,300 and only increased to $1,600 this year. I know my offers won't get worse but will I see any noticable increase?

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Regarding your theo, this is a very inexact calculation made by the pit boss.
For example, your avg bet was $33, but you probably varied your hands from $10 to $50 (maybe $100?).
So if the pit boss sees you while you have the bigger bets in play, he will plug that into the computer, and then walk away to take care of the other tables.
He might not show up again for 10 minutes or so. In the meantime, you have gone back to the lower bets in those 10 minutes, BUT you are getting credit for your big bet as your avg hand, over those 10 minutes. Then he returns, sees your smaller bet, and makes the adjustment in the computer.

What I do to maximize my theo:
1) Whenever I have a big bet on the table, I always call over the pit boss (I get to know their name, since they have me sign the marker), and say some friendly like "Hey Harry, I need you good mojo here, come on wish me some luck, I've got $2000 here depending you! Tell the dealer to give me some good cards. You can do that right? Aren't you the Boss?" in order to get Harry's attention, and have him watch the hand. Win or lose, he will put in the computer that I just bet $2000. Then he will usually walk away, because he has other tables to cover, and my meter is now running at $2K, until he returns.

2) I also tip the dealers, even if I am losing, but I do so only if the Pit boss is there so he/she can see it. This can't hurt the avg bet that he eventually give me, and in fact I know that being friendly and generous to the pit boss has helped with my avg bet per hand.

3) I time my trips to the bathroom, especially after big bets have been entered into the computer.

4) If I am done playing a shoe in baccarat, and I don't really want to play anymore, I will wait while they get the next shoe ready (this can take several minutes), and play a couple of hands of the next shoe, which shows up as more time at the table for me, despite me making only one or two more bets.

5) At craps, I have learned to set the dice. Not because I believe that setting the dice will influence the outcome of the roll, but because my dice setting "ritual" eats up time, and I earn comps with time at the table!

6) I also play at long tables in craps, because the dice are more likely to go off the table, eating up time. This is why the Cosmo has only one long table left, and replaced all their other long tables with shorter tables.

Finally, your offer may be impacted by how the casino is doing financially overall. For example, CET is in debt for $20 billion...yikes!

Regarding your theo, this is a very inexact calculation made by the pit boss.
For example, your avg bet was $33, but you probably varied your hands from $10 to $50 (maybe $100?).
So if the pit boss sees you while you have the bigger bets in play, he will plug that into the computer, and then walk away to take care of the other tables

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This is definitely part of it, my bets that night got as high as $150 for a while. Also, last year I probably had 8-10 hours at a 6:5 game which I assume helps the theo quite a bit. The only reason I was playing 6:5 was bacause the friend I was with would only play $5 so I wanted to play with him, I didn't expect to stay nearly as long as I did but I was doing reasonably well so I stayed at that table and ended up $1,200 or so ahead for the session.

I am budgeting $500 for this property along with my free play. I am spreading my remaining bankroll of $1000 at other casinos that I've never played in. Also, this offer came from a casino marketing manager. The normal offers I see online is usually $50 of free play and maybe a couple comped nights. So, this was too good to pass.

newman is correct.
Essentially, your current comped offer has already been "accounted" for, by your past play, so you don't have to even play with your own money on this trip.
However, if you don't play at all, you may not get another comped offer in the future.

I would just start with your Freeplay, and use that to generate as much play as you can.
If you get lucky early, you might be able to generate a LOT of play, which will result in a bigger offer the next time around, without risking any of your own money!

But most importantly: have fun!

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Thanks for the info. My trip last year was lucky to have lots of play at slots while breaking even. I hope to do the same this time around.

I am budgeting $500 for this property along with my free play. I am spreading my remaining bankroll of $1000 at other casinos that I've never played in. Also, this offer came from a casino marketing manager. The normal offers I see online is usually $50 of free play and maybe a couple comped nights. So, this was too good to pass.

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theres 2 types of offers
1. consistent free rooms/free play based off your average bets and theoreticals
2. "fishing" offers.

I cannot tell which one you have. But if you enjoy paris and want to build a relationship there or any CET property, id stick to them and gamble at all cet properties.

If you want to take a risk, then you can spend your extra bankroll somewhere else. And hope for a fishing type of offer. I assume you will go to a place "better" than paris in the ranking of properties to do this.

What I don't see a point in doing is spending a lot of the bankroll somewhere where you have no desire to stay at. (unless you are lucky and winning tons there) like red rock or green valley ranch. They are both beautiful properties, but sort of far and if you will never stay there, no point in risking Bankroll.

I can also confirm when / if on an offer it is usually on the basis of your last visit and level of play. I once asked a dealer at Lake Tahoe what he thought I needed to do in order to justify my offer of 3 nights while we were skiing.....he said just get back on the plane. However, if I wanted the same offer to play similarly....as it was all based on previous play.... seems right though.....

theres 2 types of offers
1. consistent free rooms/free play based off your average bets and theoreticals
2. "fishing" offers.

I cannot tell which one you have. But if you enjoy paris and want to build a relationship there or any CET property, id stick to them and gamble at all cet properties.

If you want to take a risk, then you can spend your extra bankroll somewhere else. And hope for a fishing type of offer. I assume you will go to a place "better" than paris in the ranking of properties to do this.

What I don't see a point in doing is spending a lot of the bankroll somewhere where you have no desire to stay at. (unless you are lucky and winning tons there) like red rock or green valley ranch. They are both beautiful properties, but sort of far and if you will never stay there, no point in risking Bankroll.

fk

fk

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Actually I'd be at the Luxor. In Vegas I do like MGM properties better. However, I go to the Horseshoe in Bossier City a few times a year where they are a CET property. I also like to play some with them too. On average I bring $1500 for a 3 night trip and make the most out of it.

The casino attaches a value to the room as well. A basic room might be $100 or less. So, if you add it all up, that's about $750 in comps. I'm not sure if they count free play as a "comp". At a comp rate of 30%, the casino would hope for about $2500 in theo. It's difficult to estimate what kind of theo your $500 would generate(slots, table games, average bet).

I would enjoy your stay and comps and not worry about the rest.

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I typically do not consider free play when making comp determinations.